


Salamander Eyes

by QueenofThyme



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Auror, Billywig, F/M, Investigation, Niffler, Occamy, nundu, salamander - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 20:25:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16647185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenofThyme/pseuds/QueenofThyme
Summary: Tina Goldstein has finally fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an auror but when she lands her very first case – bringing in Newt Scamander for 'questioning' – she's not so sure she's on the right side of justice after all.





	Salamander Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Fantastic Beasts 1&2 but canon cherry-picked for the story only. Newtina and "Salamander Eyes" were the only saving grace of Crimes of Grindelwald. No need to have seen the second movie to follow since I abandoned almost all of that canon. No other spoilers either if you're planning on watching (except obviously the title but you've already read that so...whoops)

_Porpentina Goldstein, Auror._

That’s what the plaque read. Tina only allowed herself to stare at it for a second before she sat down at her new desk. Becoming an auror had been a dream of hers since school and now that she was finally here, working at the Magical Congress of the United States of America, it didn’t seem real. She wanted to ask Percival Graves, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, if it had all been a prank, but as was becoming her new norm, she held her tongue.

She wasn’t like the other aurors. They were a serious brooding lot who hardly made mistakes – or at least hardly admitted to them. In order to finally make auror, she’d had to become more serious, more stoic. A feat that became easier the more she practised, but never natural.

“Goldstein!”

Tina looked around the office, trying to locate the source of the voice. The men surrounding her – there was only one other female auror and she worked mainly admin on a separate floor – all went about their business as usual, not acknowledging the voice. 

“Goldstein!” It yelled again.

Theseus Scamander leaned over the partition that separated his and Tina’s desk. “That means he wants you in his office,” he offered helpfully. Theseus was tall and charming and nothing like his brother. In short, he was dull.

He had transferred to MACUSA only recently and Tina had been working up the courage to approach him in the floo lobby and ask him about his brother. But she had still been in training, and it was unclear where Theseus’s loyalties might lie. Now that he sat across from her as a colleague, perhaps there would be an opportunity to– 

“GOLDSTEIN!” 

Tina jumped to her feet, brushed down her robe and hurried into her new boss’s office.

Graves didn’t look up as she entered – he simply waved his wand and slammed the door shut behind her. Tina hovered uncertainly until Graves barked, “Well, take a seat then.”

She obeyed immediately.

Graves threw some parchment aside and raised his eyes to Tina. He couldn’t have been much older than 40 but his grey eyebrows and the brown cigarette stains on his lower lip aged him. “Have you heard from Scamander lately?” 

Tina held back her surprise at the question. “I– I just spoke to him outside.”

Graves scowled at her evasion. “You know which Scamander I’m referring to.”

“I haven’t heard from him since he left America.”

Graves stared at her with narrowed eyes. If he were seeking signs of deception, he wouldn’t find them. Tina was telling the truth. Finally, he sighed, which Tina took to mean she was believed.

“He’s back in America,” Graves said. 

“What?” Tina’s composure slipped for a second but she quickly regained it. If Newt was in America, why hadn’t he told her? 

“Illegally obviously,” Graves continued. “Rumour is he’s gathering an army for Dumbledore.”

“To fight Grindelwald?”

Grave’s lip curled up at the mention. “That’s how they’ll spin it.” It had only been a few months since he’d been discovered in the basement of one of Grindelwald’s properties. Kept alive and healthy to fuel the polyjuice potion vital for Grindelwald’s impersonation. He’d been cleared for work but there were whispers in MACUSA that he had changed, that he had become crueller and less forgiving since the imprisonment. Tina hoped not to see that side of him. 

“What other reason would they want an army for?” She asked. 

Graves stared back at Tina without answering. 

“Oh,” Tina said, finally understanding after what she worried was too much time – this felt very much like a test. “You’re scared they’ll take down MACUSA.” 

“It’s my job to recognise threats, Goldstein, not to fear them.”

Tina nodded, silently reprimanding herself for her poor phrasing. “Why are you telling me this?”

Graves smiled unpleasantly in a way that reminded Tina far too much of Grindelwald. “Here I thought you’d jump at the change to run your own case.”

“My own case?” Tina repeated, stuck between excitement and a sick impossible feeling in her stomach. “You want me to find Mr Scamander?”

“We just need to question him.”

“Why me?”

Graves raised a grey eyebrow. “I know you have a certain _connection_ with him.”

Tina wasn’t quite successful in suppressing a blush but she forced herself to retain eye contact. “Then why me?”

“He’s a difficult man to find. However, with your _connection–_ ”

“I can’t,” Tina said. As much as she wanted her own case, the sick feeling in her stomach won out. 

Graves’ smile dropped. “I’m not _asking_ , Goldstein. Scamander represents a threat to our Magical Congress. This is your duty as an auror. Unless– ”Graves tilts his head “–you think you’re not cut out to be here.”

The blows hit Tina square in the chest, right above that sick feeling. “Surely Theseus _–_ ”

“Theseus has been on the case for weeks and all we know is that he’s in New York. Theseus– ”

“Mr Scamander has been here for _weeks_?”

“–knows his brother well but they haven’t spoken in years. You, on the other hand, have an intimate relationship– ”

“I wouldn’t say _intimate_.”

“I don’t see why you’re arguing with me, Goldstein. No other fresh recruit is being given their own case. This could be the start of fast-tracking your career.”

Tina hated how Graves’ words were working on her. He was right, of course. As a newbie, she’d be on desk work for a year before she’d even be considered for a case. This was a rare opportunity. 

"Who knows,” Graves continued unnecessarily, “one day you could end up sitting in my position. Don’t ruin it now.”

“Alright,” she agreed, fighting against the feeling in her stomach. “I’ll – I’ll find Newt. I mean, Mr Scamander.”

 

* * *

 

It was a lot easier to find Newt than Graves had made it sound. Theseus must not have known his brother at all. First, Tina dropped off at an illegal magical beasts trading house. The owner identified Newt easily – he’d got into a fight with a woman who’d refused to remove the shackles and muzzle from her nundu. Next, Tina located the woman the following night who eagerly ratted Newt out. Apparently, he had stolen her nundu after the fight.

“When you find him, you bring that beast back to me. He’s worth hundreds of thousands of galleons. More than your life missy. You’ll bring him back to me, won’t you?”

“Since it’s illegal to harbour a nundu in America and punishable by death, no,” Tina gladly told the horrible woman. 

After that, it was quite simple to track Newt. Rather than follow a man who, although eccentric, was still just a man, she now simply had to follow the trail of a gigantic nundu across New York City. 

The trail led her to a corner of Central Park where a muggle had reported a dragon sighting the night prior. Tina had tracked through the North Woods for hours before she decided to call it a night. There had been another less credible report of an “alien creature” in Rhode Island which she’d visit in the morning. 

Just as Tina prepared to disapparate, something caught her eye. “Lumos,” she whispered, relighting her wand. Not four feet away from where she stood, a niffler had dived into a ravine, fishing out muggle coins that had sunk to the shallow rock bottom. 

From there, Tina only had to wait, and then follow the niffler back home. Home was a familiar luggage case hidden by a disillusionment charm at the base of an old tree. Once the niffler squeezed itself back in, Tina knocked twice. 

Some minutes later, the case flew open and a head popped out, Newt’s head. His eyes immediately flickered up to Tina – "Tina!" – and fell just as quickly.  Tina wasn’t sure if she was imaging the flush on his cheeks. She stopped herself from counting freckles – Newt hadn’t changed at all. 

Tina nodded politely, holding herself in check. “Mr Scamander, I trust you’ve been well.”

“Yes,” Newt answered immediately. “I mean no.”

“Do you have a nundu in your case?”

The flicker of panic in Newt’s face was all that Tina needed as an answer. He climbed out of the case and closed it, turning to Tina so that he stood in-between it and her. 

“Is that why you’re here?”

“If you have a nundu, you must know its breath is fatal– ”

“Only when it’s hurt,” Newt interrupted, holding up a hand. A bowtruckle poked his head out from his sleeve.

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a defence mechanism,” Newt explained with the small smile he reserved for talking about magical creatures, “only activated when the nundu fears for its life or that of its family. It’s quite safe when treated with love and respect.”

“Right,” Tina said, already feeling flustered by Newt’s presence, “that may be so but it’s still illegal– ”

Newt’s eyes flashed up at Tina before returning to the ground. “If you report me, they’ll kill it. I can take it out of the country where it will be safe if you’ll just let me. You have to let me.”

Tina hadn’t decided how she was going to handle the nundu situation but seeing Newt’s panic and his care for the creature made up her mind. Provided he kept it within his case, it wasn’t an active threat. MACUSA had far greater priorities. 

“I’m not here about the nundu, Mr Scamander.”

Newt smiled then and there was no mistaking the flush on his cheeks. Tina hurried to correct him. 

“You’re not supposed to be in America.”

“I know. It was– ” his eyes met Tina’s for half a second– “necessary.”

Tina swallowed the tightness in her throat. “Did Dumbledore tell you that?”

“Dumbledore?”

“Don’t lie to me, Ne– Mr Scamander.”

Newt took a step back and hit the back of his case, stumbling for a moment. “Tina, I’m not lying.”

Tina lifted her wand, ignoring the shakiness in her arm. “If you are unwilling to cooperate– ”

“ _Tina?_ ”

“–I will be forced to detain you for questioning.”

Newt grabbed his case, holding it protectively behind him. “I can’t have anyone taking my animals. You saw how MACUSA reacted last time, you can’t let them–”

“Drop your case, Mr Scamander.”

“No, no, I can’t. My animals– "

“Will be safer with your case under a disillusionment charm here than at MACUSA,” Tina explained, the sick feeling in her stomach back in play as she witnessed Newt’s panic. “Drop your case.”

Newt obeyed – almost – by placing his case very slowly and carefully back on the ground. Some of the panic had left his face but in its place remained undisguised hurt. Tina stepped forward and grabbed Newt’s arm as lightly as possible, looking away from Newt in shame as she disapparated them both to MACUSA. 

Before Tina had even stabilised, she was greeted by Theseus and two other senior aurors, Bones and Rookwood, who took hold of Newt and dragged him off to the interrogation room. “Be careful,” Tina yelled out, following them down the hallway. 

Bones broke off from the others and stopped her from following. “It’s late. Go home.”

“But I want to question him.”

Bones laughed. “A fresh face like you? Not a chance. Go home.”

Tina returned to her desk but the sick feeling remained with her. She hadn’t anticipated other aurors would be questioning Newt. She wanted to know what he was doing here. Why he’d joined ranks with Dumbledore. Most importantly, why he’d been in America for weeks without contacting her. Tina waited as patiently as she could but after half an hour, she’d had enough of not knowing. She headed down to the interrogation rooms. Bones and Rookwood stood outside. 

“I want to question him.”

“I already told you: no way.”

“He’s my suspect.”

“And we thank you for your hard work bringing him in.”

The two men laughed. Tina detested the sound. She took a step forward. 

“What information have you obtained so far?”

Bones crossed his arms. “What?”

“In your interrogation. What have you inferred from the suspect? Do you know the size of his supposed army, confirmation of his connection with Dumbledore, when a proposed attack to MACUSA might occur? Anything?”

“He won’t talk," Rookwood explained – Bones elbowed him. 

“Right, well I’ll send an Owl to Graves and report your impressive progress, shall I?” The two aurors looked at each other and Tina knew she had them. “Or you could let me speak to him.”

Rookwood knocked on the door.  Theseus walked out a minute later.

“Anything?” Bones asked him.

“He’s still not talking.”

Bones looked at Tina. “Alright, get on with it then.”

TIna took a measured breath and walked in, closing the door behind her.  Newt sat at the end of a long white table, his hands shackled to it. 

“Mr Scamander,” Tina said, taking the seat opposite. 

Newt didn’t respond – he was staring down at the table. 

“Why are you in America?”

“When was your last contact with Albus Dumbledore?”

“Why are you unwilling to cooperate with us?”

“These are unnecessary,” Newt finally responded, lifting his hands as much as the shackles allowed. “I would have come if you had asked.” He leaned over the table and his voice dropped to a whisper.“Have they imperio-ed you?”

“I’m not imperio-ed!”

“You’re acting strangely,” Newt said to the table.

“ _You’re_ acting strangely,” Tina countered intelligently. She took a breath and sat up straighter. “How many wizards have you coerced into your plot with Dumbledore?”

“My plot?”

“Your plot to form an army and take over MACUSA.”

“I’m not forming an army.”

“Then why did Dumbledore instruct you to come to America?”

“Dumbledore didn’t instruct me to do anything.”

“Then why are you back in America? And don’t tell me it’s to release another beast because I won’t believe you for a second.”

Newt’s fists had clenched in his shackles. Tina longed to take them off but she had to keep protocol. This was her job now. 

“You.”

Tina returned her attention to Newt’s face. He was blushing again and his eyes couldn’t seem to find a place between Tina and the table. 

“What about me?” Tina asked. 

Newt struggled in his shackles for a moment before replying. “I came to America to see you.”

“You– you– ”

A loud crash outside the room interrupted the weird warm feeling snaking its way up Tina’s chest. She jumped to her feet and unlocked Newt’s shackles with her wand instinctively. She turned to the door just as it crashed open. Theseus stood there, his usual impeccable attire covered in dust.

“Go now,” he urged. “Use the auror apparition point. The night crew are responding to a threat in Kentucky.”

“What’s the threat?” Tina asked. 

“Nothing. I made it up. Graves is already on his way here to question Newt himself so you don’t have much time.”

“But if he just wants to question Newt, why– ”

“Newt is never leaving this facility legally," Theseus said, as if this were obvious. "Graves will make sure of it, no matter what he had to charge him with. Surely you know that?”

“I– I– ”

“Just go,” Theseus urged. 

Tina nodded and jumped into action, taking Newt’s hand – who hadn’t moved – and pulling him from the interrogation room. 

“Stun me,” Theseus asked as they passed him.

Tina turned back. “They’ll never believe you didn’t have something to do with this. Your own brother!”

Theseus shook his head. “If you knew our relationship, you’d understand. Do it and go.”

“Stupefy.”

Theseus flew back against the wall and dropped down unconscious. Tina took his instruction and continued on, dragging Newt to the apparition point. 

When they reached it, Newt pulled away. Tina grasped for his hand ready to disapparate but he held himself out of reach.  “What are you doing? Give me your hand.”

“What are _you_ doing?” Newt asked.

“Getting you out of here.”

“But you’re an auror now. Tina, you’ve always wanted to be an auror.”

Tina shrugged – this was so not the time for this conversation. “Maybe I can transfer to England.”

“You– you want to come with me?”

“Mr Sca– Newt, I– ” The apparition point lit up, an indication of incoming aurors. “We have to go,” Tina shouted, lunging forward and taking hold of Newt by the hand.

She apparated them once, then again as far as she dared to the outskirts of a small village in Oregon. When the world stopped spinning, Newt shrugged his hand from Tina’s. Tina hasn’t even realised how tightly she’d been holding onto it.

“My case, we have to go back for my case. The animals have a strict feeding and play schedule and if I don’t– ”

Tina held up the case she had picked up at their first apparition stop. 

Newt’s whole face changed, worry replaced by a wide smile – another one reserved only for his creatures. He grabbed the case and placed it on the ground, kneeling down to open it. 

“We’ll wait a month and then take a portkey to England,” Tina said as she thought through their next moves. “It’s too risky to travel now – Graves will be monitoring all travel out of the country.”

Newt’s head had disappeared into the case. 

“Then, we’ll send a message to Dumbledore. I know you say you’re not working for him but surely he’ll help us hide given the situation.”

“Tina,” Newt said, popping back up. “Tina, you have to go back.”

“I can’t go back.”

Newt stood up, brushing off the grass from his knees. “You can say that I bewitched you, that you weren’t in your right mind. There’s a breed of magical bee-like creatures that can– ”

“You _have_ bewitched me.”

Newt snapped his head up. “I would never– oh.” He blushed immediately and dropped his eyes back to the ground. 

“Newt, I want to stay with you.”

“But your dream, Tina– ”

“Pit me against you. Against what’s right. I don’t want that. I want– ” Tina hesitated. There was warmth in her chest but it was tight and painful too. She took a breath. “You. I want you, Newt.”

Newt didn’t say anything but there was a smile on his face and they weren’t talking about magical creatures. It gave Tina the strength she needed to continue. 

“Is that– is that why you came to America?” She asked. “Because you want me too?”

Newt nodded. His eyes flickered over Tina’s face, never still, but always coming back to her eyes. “I’ve been trying to work out how to tell you that for weeks now. Tina, you– you’re like an Occamy.”

Tina felt herself starting to grin at the absurd compliment even though she had no idea what it meant. If Newt thought she was like a winged serpent, then it must be a good thing. 

“When you’re in a room, you fill it completely," he explained. "I can’t focus on anyone or anything else.”

Tina made an embarrassing euphoric noise something like a giggle. “You’re like– “ Tina tried desperately to think of something– “a Billywig! You make me giddy?”

“Actually, it’s a common misconception that Billywig stings– never mind.” Newt eyed his suitcase. “Do you want– I could show you some of the other creatures that remind me of you?”

Tina laughed. She couldn’t imagine that pick-up line working with anyone else but somehow coming from Newt, it was incredibly endearing. “Sure, why not?” She said and followed Newt down the stairs of his magical case. 

“Now, there’s this salamander…”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first newtina but I also write drarry and have a tumblr [here](http://queenofthyme.tumblr.com/)


End file.
